Alice in Wonderland: Green Eyed Daughter
by nineteennintytwo
Summary: She was an illegitimate child; born out of wedlock, and only her mother seemed to know where she came from. But when a dark haired man kidnaps her mother, she must seek aid in the father she's never even met. AlicexHatter.
1. Tabitha

Yet another AIW story from me. These ideas just won't stop coming! Anyway, this story is set thirteen years after Alice returns back to her own world, and what happened during those thirteen years will be explained in the first few paragraphs.

And before you start judging me and rolling your eyes at this story, I did some research into Victorian society, and having a child out of wedlock was the biggest scandal there could be. So the reaction they all have may be an over reaction now, but back then, almost everyone would react in that way. It was similar in Oliver Twist; they would normally get sent to the workhouse, and sometimes, mothers used to kill their own babies to hide what they've done. So the situation at the beginning was the most realistic that I could get it.

I hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: I only own Tabitha, and the rest belong to...other people who you should all know by now.

* * *

Tabitha

Alice had never meant for it to happen, but sometimes, things were just out of her control. That one night with him had led to something much bigger; something that had changed Alice's life forever. And by the time she realized it, Alice was too far away from the rabbit hole to go back down it.

She first realized that she was pregnant with his child when she threw up over the side of the China Trading Company ship for the tenth time in a row. Lord Ascot had asked her what the matter was, and Alice had lied to him, saying that she was just feeling seasick. This excuse only worked for so long, as her master's suspicions grew in unison with Alice's belly. And of course, she could keep the secret no longer when she went into labour.

"But who is the father?" Lord Ascot had demanded.

"I...I don't know," Alice had lied.

Tabitha was born five hours later, and the ship had to turn back to England. Alice sent a letter ahead, explaining the truth of what had happened (apart from who the father was), and received the welcome that she had expected. Her poor mother had died of shame, Lady Ascot demanded for her and the child to be sent to the workhouse, and only Margaret was waiting for her at the docks, although Alice could see that her sister was very awkward about the situation.

"I cannot understand why, Alice," was all she had said on the matter, a disappointed look clearly painted on her face.

The secret seeped out (no thanks to the Chattaway sisters), and soon, high society itself was looking down upon Alice and her daughter. Lord Ascot had to dismiss her from the company in the end, due to too much pressure being placed on him by his business partners, but he promised Alice that he would still extend to China as a form of forgiveness. She was thrown out of her home in London, and was even turned away by the Manchesters; she knew that this was Lowell's doing and not her sister's, for when Alice finally found a place to live outside of London, Margate sent her money to survive on, and paid her the occasional visit with her son, Robert.

Alice became an author. She published her story _Alice's Adventures In Wonderland_ under the pen name Lewis Carroll, and the book's success kept her and her daughter living under a roof until Tabitha was thirteen. That was when everything changed.

* * *

"It certainly is a strange book," Margaret commented, when she and Robert came for a visit. "I remember reading it to Robert when he was six; he asked me why anyone would write such nonsense."

"It is supposed to make absolutely no sense," Alice explained.

She had not been able to see her sister for some time, and was happy that she and Robert had found the chance to visit. But they still wrote to one another, so it wasn't like there was no contact at all.

"I guess young children seem to like it, though," Margaret realized. "Otherwise you would not have the money to keep you and Tabitha alive."

"But we would not have stayed out of poverty if it wasn't for you, Meg," Alice told her sister with a smile.

Outside, the two thirteen-year-olds, Robert and Tabitha, were sitting on the grass in the sunshine. Robert looked like any normal boy would, but Tabitha was far from ordinary. Her hair was shinning blonde like her mother's, and her eyes were bright green which had been known to change colour, depending on her emotions.

"And then, the March Hare balanced a teapot on his head," Tabitha finished the story which she had made up. "Of course, I intend to do a sequel, where I make hats with the Mad Hatter."

For a girl her age, Tabitha had an over active imagination, and loved to make up stories which featured her mother's characters. It was what she spent most of her days doing, whenever her mother wasn't home schooling her. Robert gave her a snobbish look.

"I don't know why you spend your time making up these silly stories," he commented, getting to his feet. "My father says that day-dreaming is a waste of time."

"They ain't silly, and they ain't a waste of time!" Tabitha snapped, rising up in front of him.

Robert scoffed.

"Just the sort of thing a bastard would say," he observed. "That's what my father says you are: a bastard."

But he immediately regretted saying it when he saw Tabitha's eyes turn red with anger. Some sort of anger instinct took over her, and she began to scream and shout at him in a language he had never heard of before.

"You _guddler's scuttish pilgar lickering shukem juggling slunking ur-pals bar lom muck egg brimni!_"

She pushed him over with all her might and leapt on top of him, and a fight broke out. Alice and Margaret heard from inside the house and hurried outside, and when they saw the two children fighting, they immediately ran to break it up.

"Hey! Stop it!" the two sisters cried, dragging their child from the other.

"She pushed me over!" Robert yelled.

"Well he called me a bastard!" Tabitha yelled.

"Robert, you do not call your cousin a bastard!" Margaret scolded her son.

"But Father said-"

"I do not care what your father says, you should not call her that!"

"And you shouldn't push your cousin, Tabby," Alice told her daughter.

"He had it coming," Tabitha replied flatly.

Alice rolled her eyes and turned to her sister.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be," Margaret assured her. "I shall have a word with both Robert and Lowell tonight. Hopefully it will not happen again."

They left soon after Margaret had gotten her son cleaned up a bit, and once they had, Alice immediately turned to Tabitha.

"Tabby, what were you thinking?" she began. "I thought I told you that you need to learn how to control your anger?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it, all right!" Tabitha cried. "The anger seems to take over me, make me swear in another language before it explodes out. I would stop it if I could, but I can't!"

Alice sighed and turned away. Tabitha was too much like her father, and she knew it.

"And besides, it doesn't help that everyone I ever meet thinks low of me," Tabitha continued. "Why does my life have to be this way? Why are we here if we are frowned down upon by everyone?"

"Tabby, please," Alice told her daughter, unable to take any more of the questions she was throwing at her. "Believe me, if I had known that I was pregnant with you, I would have stayed with your father."

She left the room with a slam of the door, leaving Tabitha standing alone and confused. If she remembered anything about her father, is what that her mother had always told everyone that she didn't know who he was. Which made it all the more confusing.

"_Believe me, if I had known that I was pregnant with you, I would have stayed with your father." _

Did that mean that everything her mother had told her was all...a lie?

* * *

I know that it's slow now, but don't worry, things will speed up in the next chapter!

**Please review! **


	2. That Night

**I don't usually write Author's Notes in BOLD, but I want people to read this. I really appreciate all the favs and alerts that I've been getting for this story and my other ones, and a big thanks to all those who have already reviewed, but please, if you are reading this and have not reviewed yet, then please, please REVIEW! I'm not a review freak, but being honest, lovely reviews tend to give me confidence with my writing, and they make me update a lot faster. Reviews tell me that people are loving my stories. If I don't get them, then I think that my stories aren't very good, so I won't write. So, the more reviews I get, the more I write. Sounds fair, right? Even if it's a short review, it still helps!**

Oh, and can you all check out my other Alice In Wonderland stories? Mainly the ones called But Now You're Back and Musical Madness!

* * *

That Night

_Alice Returns To Wonderland_

The title just stared up at her, as if it was waiting for her to start writing. But Alice, not matter how many times she picked up her quill, found that she couldn't. She knew what to write, but it was just writing it; because writing it meant that she had to remember it, and that meant remembering _him_. Of course, she wouldn't go into that much detail (it was only a children's book, after all), but the detail still remained in her head, reminding her of how much she missed him.

Writing the first book had been fine. Alice had been a confused, curious six-year-old back then, and not much had happened to get her emotionally attached to the wondrous world which she had visited. She even recalled storming away from the tea party in a huff! But the second visit, for obvious reasons, was different. She had made friends who she would never forget, and...a part of one friend in particular she had brought back with her.

Tabitha was thirteen. She was starting to get curious (or curiouser than she had already been as a young child), especially when it came to the subject of where she had come from. If Alice wrote the book, it would be too close to the truth, and Tabitha would start asking questions. And how could she answer? Tell her that it's all true? Tell her that she's the daughter of a mad man in a hat? Of course, Tabitha wouldn't mind that detail, but would she believe her mother? Alice placed her head in her hands after she threw her quill back down on the desk once more.

The door of her small study crept open, and the curious green eyes of Tabitha poked themselves around it to look at her mother. She sighed. Her mother's words had been echoing around in her brain all afternoon, and now that it was dark outside, she had finally plucked up the courage to ask her mother what she had meant. Alice was very sensitive on this subject; she had always snapped back at her daughter whenever she had asked, and Tabitha got the impression that whatever her mother had done and whoever she had slept with, she regretted it, and was taking it out on her. But in truth, Alice loved her daughter more than anything else in the world, and thought of her more of a blessing than a burden. And it was nice to have a part of the Hatter living with her.

Tabitha stepped slowly into the little study and stood in silence, waiting for her mother to acknowledge her. Alice had heard her come in, but regained herself before she spoke.

"What is it, Tabby?" she asked.

Tabitha took a deep breath, biting her lip nervously.

"It's...it's about what you said earlier," she began. "You said that you would never of left my father if you had known that you were pregnant with me. But you always told everyone – and me – that you didn't know who my father was. So, which is it? You either know or you don't."

Alice looked up so that her gaze was fixed out the window, not daring to turn and face her daughter. She had never meant to say that at all, and now, she knew that if Tabitha was anything like her, she would not rest until she got the answer she wanted. Tabitha took her silence as a yes.

"You _do_ know, don't you?" she said flatly.

It wasn't a question, and Alice knew it. She still refused to look her daughter in the eye.

"Mother, why didn't you tell me?" Tabitha asked. "Was he a bad man? Did he rape you? Mother, I need to know, so tell me."

Alice sighed. She finally turned to face her daughter, knowing that even though she could not tell her the whole truth, she could tell her something at least.

"No, he wasn't a bad man, and he did not rape me," she explained. "He was the only man I had ever met who truly understood me, and felt as if he was all alone in this world, just like I was feeling at the time. He was the only man who I have ever loved, and I still love him now."

"But then, why didn't you tell me or anyone else about him?" Tabitha demanded. "Why can't we go and live with him?"

Alice let out another sigh.

"Tabby, I've already told you that being born out of wedlock is the greatest scandal of all, no matter who the father is," she continued. "And the truth is, he lives very far away, and right now, we cannot possibly travel there."

"But that's still no excuse not to tell me," Tabby pointed out.

"You would of never believed me if I told you who he was, nor would have anyone else," Alice stated. "I would have been sent to the mad house."

"Try me," her daughter said. "I might believe you. Just tell me, please."

Alice tried her hardest to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of her throat, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Tabby, but I can't," she whispered. "I wish I could, but I can't."

"You can't tell me, or you won't tell me?" Tabitha said flatly.

She didn't even wait for her mother to give any sort of reply before she fled the room, hurrying across the hallway and slamming her bedroom do shut.

"Tabby!" Alice called.

But her daughter just ignored her. Alice let out a sigh, allowing a single tear to roll down her face as she turned back to her desk. The tear fell down onto the page in front of her. Alice sniffed. She knew that somehow, someway, she would have to return to Underland with her daughter. It was the only way, for she could not live like this for any longer, and nor could Tabby. The hurt was beginning to get too much for her to bare.

She glanced upwards out the window for a brief moment, and as she did, a flash of white caught her attention. Alice did a double take and stood up out of her seat, taking a closer look. Rustling in the bushes. Hope began to rise in Alice; could it be? She didn't even answer that question as she hurried out the room, striding towards the front door and opening it to walk outside. She looked around.

Had it been an illusion? No, there was the rustling again. Alice strode over to the bush.

"McTwisp?" she called in a hushed whisper. "Is that you? It's only me, Alice."

There was more rustling, until finally, a large White Rabbit in a waistcoat hopped out in front of her, and Alice found herself smiling down at him.

"I thought I had the right Alice," he stated.

Alice smiled wider.

"It's good to see you again, Nivens," she greeted him.

"Not quite so good, actually," Nivens corrected her, taking out his pocket watch and gasping at the time. "There's a large problem, you see."

"What sort of problem?" Alice asked.

"Stayne has escaped exile."

Alice froze. Stayne...she remembered him all right, and the memories weren't good ones. One memory that rose above the rest was when he had tried to seduce her in the Red Queen's castle, when he believed her to be someone named Um from Umbradge.

"He has?" she gasped. "How?"

"He was able to strangle the Red Queen and break open his handcuffs," the Rabbit explained. "And by the time we all realized it, it was too late. He's..."

"McTwisp..."

"He's here in your world, somewhere," McTwisp finished. "We don't know where, but he must be looking for you. The White Queen sent me to fetch you. So hurry along, we don't have much time."

He turned to go, expecting Alice to follow.

"Wait."

The Rabbit paused and turned back to her.

"What is it?" he questioned. "We're already late, and we do not have any time for packing or goodbyes. Stayne could already be close."

"No, I know, but I can't leave my daughter," Alice explained.

The Rabbit's eyes went wide.

"Your..._daughter?_" he questioned, his voice shaking nervously.

"She's...she's mine and Hatter's," Alice continued, which made his eyes widen even more. "Some things...happened on the night before the Frabjous Day, and by the time I realized that I was pregnant, it was already too late to go back. I can't just leave her here on her own."

"I understand," McTwisp said. "Go and fetch her, but hurry!"

Alice turned and hurried back to the house.

* * *

Tabitha sat silently in her room, thinking over what her mother had just told her. How could she not believe her? What was it that she couldn't tell her? It was her father; she deserved to know. But as she thought, Tabitha was unaware of how much danger she was in.

Loud footsteps burst through the front door, making Tabitha sit upright in panic. What was that? It couldn't be her mother, surely? Why would she make that amount of noise? Tabitha's breathing increased as the footsteps came closer, until suddenly, the door burst open.

It was Alice.

"Mother, what is it?" Tabitha asked.

"Tabby, we need to leave now," Alice hurriedly told her daughter, quite out of breath.

"Why?"

"There's no time to explain, no come on," Alice pleaded.

But before Tabitha could move, there was another loud crash as the front door burst open once more. Alice went to look out the bedroom door, and almost let out a scream. It was Stayne, all seven foot of him standing in the hallway. His eyes fell upon Alice, and instantly, he ran at her. Alice tried to slam the door shut, but Stayne pressed against it to try and force his way into the room.

Tabitha let out a frightened gasp. From her position on the bed, she could see the head of the dark haired man who had broken into their home, and service to say, he didn't look at all nice.

"RUN, TABBY!" Alice screamed, knowing that she had to hold off Stayne and allow her daughter to escape.

"But Mother-"

"I'll be fine, GO!" Alice cried. "There should be a White Rabbit waiting outside; go to him and he'll lead you to safety!"

Tabitha hesitated. She wanted to run, but she didn't want to leave her mother to fend for herself.

"RUN!" Alice screamed one last time.

She didn't have a choice. Fear getting the better of her, Tabitha leapt from her bed and crossed the room to her window, which she climbed out of and slammed shut. Giving one final shove, Stayne barged the door open, causing Alice to give way and fall, hitting her head against the floor and knocking herself unconscious. Stayne ran to the window, but it was too late.

Tabitha had disappeared into the night.

* * *

Her heart hammered against her chest as she ran, knowing that she had to do as she was told by her mother and find the White Rabbit. But why a White Rabbit? Could a rabbit lead her to safety? Or had her stories finally gotten to her mother's head? But to her utter surprise and shock, Tabitha saw a large White Rabbit waiting by the bushes.

And he was definitely wearing a waistcoat.

"You...but...how...?" Tabitha stammered, in awe of the Rabbit in front of her.

McTwisp put away his pocket watch and glanced up at her. This was clearly Alice's daughter; she looked the right age, had her mother's blonde hair, and most unmistakably, her father's green eyes. She was here, but where was Alice?

"Where's Alice?" he asked nervously, fearing the worst.

Tabitha was shocked that he had just spoken, but that was the last thing on her mind.

"She told me to run when this dark haired man broke into out house," Tabitha explained.

The Rabbit gasped, but he stopped himself from falling into a dead faint which he would have usually done. Now was not the time. He had to at least get this girl to safety; having her captured along with Alice would not be good, and the Hatter would probably skin him alive.

"You are her daughter, aren't you?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Yes?"

"Then follow me."

He hopped away into the bushes, and after giving one final glance back, Tabitha followed. McTwisp led her through a number of bushes, Tabitha getting scratched and grazed, and her white nightgown getting torn on the branches. But she didn't stop running, and the Rabbit ahead of her never once disappeared from sight. He eventually stopped outside a large rabbit hole.

"You need to allow yourself to fall down here," he explained.

Tabitha's eyes went wide. Fall down? Wouldn't that hurt? And it was just like...

"It's the only way," he explained, seeing the look on her face. "I shall guide you once you land."

And with that, he disappeared into the hole, leaving Tabitha standing alone. She looked around. Should she follow? Her thoughts drew back to the story her mother had written; was it like this? There was only one way to find out. Tabitha crouched down in front of the rabbit hole, peering into it to try and see any of those floating bits of furniture. But it was too dark, so she tried to lean in further.

And ended up falling head first into the rabbit hole.

* * *

So there you have it, Tabitha finally falls down the hole. I hoped you all liked it! And rest assured, the Hatter makes his appearance in the next chapter!


	3. Father

So here it is. The meeting between father and daughter! I hope you all like it!

* * *

Father

Tabitha found herself falling down and down, deeper into the rabbit hole and further away from the dot of starlight above her. She couldn't help but let out a scream, falling past a number of different objects, all of which had been described in her mother's book; books, papers, maps, paintings, and at one point, a piano. The bed was even there, and Tabitha bounced off of it as she continued to fall. It was really quite strange; how could her mother's stories be true?

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Tabitha fell through something and landed on a wooden floor. She winced at the pain caused and sat up, but when she did, she found herself sitting upside down, her hair dangling down. This only lasted a second before she fell again. She gave an annoyed sigh.

"Come on, it's not _that_ bad."

Tabitha sat herself up and looked around her, before her eyes fell upon the White Rabbit, who was standing near a glass table.

"Now," he continued, "I'm sure you know how to do this?"

Tabitha blankly shook her head. The Rabbit sighed.

"Oh dear, looks like she never told you," he sighed.

"Never told me what?" the young girl asked. "Is it something to do with the fact that all this was in her stories?"

"I presume so," the Rabbit said. "Every story your mother ever told you really happened, and it all happened down here."

"Wonderland?"

"No, Underland," he corrected her. "Your mother got that wrong, too."

"So, let me get this straight," Tabitha began. "My mother fell down here as a six-year-old, and experienced everything which she had written in her book?"

"I haven't read her book, but if it's about this place, then yes," McTwisp replied. "She also returned here years later when she was older, to save us all from the Red Queen. Did she tell you about that?"

"No, but she said that she was doing a sequel for her story," Tabitha realized. "Although she never told me what it was going to be about. She said that I had to wait like all the other children."

"Oh well, I guess we shall all tell you once you're settled," the Rabbit said.

"We?"

"The other characters," McTwisp told her. "Mallymkun, Chessur, Thackery, the Tweedles, the White Queen, and...Tarrant. They're all waiting, you know. Dear me, I wonder what they'll say when I bring you instead of Alice. Tarrant will probably skin me alive when I tell him what happened."

"Tarrant is the Hatter, right?" the girl asked.

McTwisp looked up at her with a weird expression, before turning away and giving a slight nod in reply. Tabitha frowned; that was a strange was to behave.

"So, how do I get through that door again?" she asked.

"Oh, right, pass me the key so that I can hold onto it; your mother left it last time and couldn't reach it when she shrunk," the Rabbit explained. "Then just take one sip of that drink."

So Tabitha passed down the key and picked up the bottle, before putting it to her lips and taking a sip. It tasted foul! She coughed and rolled her tongue in disgust, but she was soon distracted from the taste by the fact that she was shrinking. Down and down she shrunk, until she was an inch shorter than the White Rabbit. It felt odd, and she was especially embarrassed that her nightgown didn't fit her.

"Just hold it around you until we get through the door," he told her, hopping over to the tiny door and unlocking it. "Now, take a small piece of that cake from under the table, but don't eat it yet. Wait until we're outside."

Dragging her nightgown, Tabitha made her way over to the table and found the cake, in which she broke off a small piece. Then she followed the White Rabbit out the door, although it took a while because she kept on tripping over the bottom of her nightgown. McTwisp kept glancing at his pocket watch impatiently, which just got Tabitha annoyed. Finally, she stumbled out of the door and into the garden. She found herself in awe.

"Wow," she gasped.

"You can take a closer look in a minute," McTwisp told her. "We need to get you at your right size first. Take a small nibble from that cake and you'll grow again."

Tabitha took a small nibble like ordered, and found that the cake was a lot nicer than the drink. She wanted to take another bite, but then the images of her mother's story flashed across her mind, and she resisted. She was growing again, and it wasn't long before she was at her right height once more.

"Right then, follow me," the Rabbit said, hopping away across the garden.

The girl followed, her head turning round to look at the wonderful sight of the garden. There was a small green pig grazing in the bushes nearby, and above her, dragonflies and rocking-horseflies were flying about. The flowers were tall, coming up to about her waist, and they even had human faces!

"She's definitely not Alice," a pink rose commented.

"But she does _look_ like Alice," a tiger-lily added. "And look at those green eyes; do you think-"

But the rose nudged her to stop her from talking.

"Not a word," she hissed. "Not a word."

Tabitha watched them curiously; what was it about her eyes that had them interested? But she just ignored them and continued to follow the White Rabbit. They walked through the mushroom forest and past the creepy crossroads, and they found themselves walking through the dark Tulgey Wood. Tabitha was a bit uneasy about it, but had faith that McTwisp knew where he was going, and would not lead her into danger.

"Well, well, well."

She froze and spun round, and McTwisp came to a halt and did the same. Sitting on a branch above them was the Cheshire Cat, his tail swinging from side to side and his mouth grinning as widely as ever.

"I thought you knew which is the right Alice, McTwisp," the cat continued. "This girl is clearly not Alice, although, she does look like her a bit."

"There were...complications," the Rabbit told him. "I shall explain fully when we get to the Tea Party, but for now, let me introduce you both. This is the Cheshire Cat, and Chessur, this is Alice's daughter, Tabitha."

"Alice's daughter?" Chessur questioned, before disappearing, and only his head reappearing by Tabitha's shoulder. "I must say, that you do look an awful lot like her. But my, what green eyes you have! They are very...green."

"Chessur, stop it!" the White Rabbit hissed. "Don't say anything about it."

"About what?" Tabitha questioned. "What is it about my eyes that has you all so interested?"

"Oh, nothing," Chessur replied innocently, his whole body appearing as he floated further above her. "They're just an odd sort of colour, that's all."

The White Rabbit continued on, and Tabitha and Chessur followed him towards a clearing up ahead. There was music playing somewhere in the background as they walked out the wood, and Tabitha observed the scene in front of her. It was a long table, just like in the picture from her mother's book, although it was a lot messier now. The tablecloth was dirty, there were bits of cake everywhere, and a lot of the plates and cups were broken. Only three guests sat at the table.

The first, Tabitha assumed to be the March Hare, sleeping with his face flat down on the table and snoring loudly. His fur was matted together, and a faded brown colour which looked almost grey. He bolted upright suddenly, holding his spoon out like a weapon.

"Who? What? Where?" he cried.

His cried woke up the second guest, who poked her head out from her teapot and let out a yawn, stretching her arms out. It was Mallymkun the dormouse, Tabitha realized. She was white in colour, and wore breeches with a hair pin strapped to her side. She looked in the direction of the approaching guests, and frowned when her eyes landed on Tabitha.

"Hey, Hatter!" she whispered, turning to the third guest. "I think McTwisp has finally lost it. He's only gone and brought the wrong Alice!"

At this, the third party member looked up, and although Tabitha couldn't see the details of his face, she guessed that it must be the Mad Hatter. Only _he_ wore a hat such as the one on his head. His gaze fell upon her, and before anyone knew it, he had jumped up onto the table and was making his way over to her. Tabitha came to a halt and just watched him as he finally stepped off in front of her.

"You're not Alice," he stated. "But you look like her."

Tabitha observed him more closely. His hair was bright orange, frizzing outwards like he had just been electrocuted. His skin was pale, and his eyes were a very dark colour, and looked as if they were in deep mourning or worry. In fact, his whole being looked worried.

"There was a bit of trouble, you see," the Rabbit began nervously. "I talked to Alice when I got up there, but she had to go and fetch Tabitha here before she left. Unfortunately, Stayne broke in while she was, and only Tabitha escaped. I'm...I'm sorry."

The Hatter felt himself getting angry, but prevented his eyes from turning red. After all, it wasn't the Rabbit's fault, and whoever this Tabitha girl was, she must be important to Alice. They could rescue Alice later, when he could also give that Knave a piece of his mad mind. He turned back to her, and for the first time, noticed her eyes. They're colour looked so familiar...

"And are you Tabitha?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Her daughter," she replied.

The Hatter's eyes went wide.

"Alice's..._daughter?_" he gasped.

Again, Tabitha nodded.

"Well," the Hatter began again, getting over the shock, "why don't you join us for some tea?"

Before Tabitha could answer, he grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her up over the table, knocking aside cups and teapots. Tabitha sat down in the same seat which her mother had sat in, just as the Hatter took his own seat. Chessur took his usual seat at the end of the table, and the White Rabbit sat down next to Mallymkun. The Hatter poured out some tea for Tabitha.

"What are we going to do about Mother?" she suddenly asked. "Should we not be coming up with a plan to rescue her?"

"I know, and I want to rush and rescue her more than anything," the Hatter answered. "But rushing doesn't get anything done any faster, and we need to take you to the White Queen for safe keeping before we do."

"But I want to help!"

The Hatter smiled.

"Just as stubborn as your mother," he commented. "We shall see what the Queen says."

Tabitha huffed, before taking a sip of tea. The Hatter watched her with curiosity. There was something familiar about her; not the similarities that she and Alice shared, he was already aware of those. There was something else which was familiar about her, and yet, he couldn't place his finger upon it.

"So tell me," he began, "who is your father?"

Tabitha paused. McTwisp and Chessur looked up. Mallymkun observed their looks, then looked between the Hatter and Tabitha. She suddenly realized the answer to the question.

"I...I don't know," Tabitha admitted. "Mother never told me. I was born out of wedlock, and we were scowled down upon because of it. I mean, it may seem like nothing, but I've had to endure it for thirteen years, and-"

"Wait, how old are you?" the Hatter suddenly asked, picking up on something.

"Thirteen," Tabitha replied. "Why?"

The Hatter froze. It had been thirteen years since he had last seen Alice. Thirteen years since the two of them...

And she had his green eyes.

"Oh _frumious gallymoggers_," he muttered.

"What was that?" Tabitha asked, her eyebrows knotting together in confusion.

The Hatter looked up at her again. She was completely oblivious to it, and it felt right for him to tell her. Only, not out in the open.

"Here, come with me," he said, leading her away inside the windmill.

He shut the door behind him, and invited Tabitha to take a seat. She did without question, and the Hatter took a seat opposite her.

"Well, I suppose I should be the one to tell you, since your mother never did," he began, avoiding eye contact.

"About her second visit?" Tabitha asked.

"I suppose so," the Hatter agreed. "McTwisp brought her down here because she needed the slay the Jabberwocky-"

"A what?"

"A Jabberwocky," the Hatter explained. "A ferocious pet kept by the Red Queen. So anyway, we needed her to slay it, so she returned and did just that. The White Queen wore the crown once more, and the Red Queen and the Knave were banished to the Outlands for good. Or, so we thought. The Knave strangled the Red Queen and escaped-"

"And let me guess, he was the one who broke into our house?" Tabitha finished.

"You saw him?"

"Only his face," she replied. "Mother kept him at bay whilst I escaped. She wanted me to get out of there, and even though I didn't want to leave her, I knew that I had to."

"She's a very brave young woman, with a lot of muchness," the Hatter commented, before he let out a sigh. "But that wasn't what I wanted to tell you."

"Then, what is it?" Tabitha asked.

There was a pause.

"Your mother and I were...well, we were close friends," he began. "But on the night before the Frabjous Day, when she was to slay the Jabberwocky, some things...happened. It had consequences of course, and I cannot understand why Alice never returned because of it. It's been...thirteen years since she was last here..."

Finally, the Hatter turned to face her, having allowed his eyes to change back to normal. Green eyes met green, and Tabitha gasped. No...

"Tabitha...I think you're mine."

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I hope that sounded OK. **PLEASE REVIEW** and tell me how I did!


	4. Flashback

OK, so I bet you were all sitting there waiting, wanting to know Tabby's reaction, only to sigh in annoyance when I upload this chapter instead! I had to do it; it's a flashback at the beginning which shows how Tabitha was...well...you get what I mean. Don't worry, I'm not writing any sexual stuff, so you can all allow yourselves to breathe. Although, it is implied...

Anyway, I hope you all like this Alice/Hatter moment I've thrown in here! Hopefully it will make up for the delay of Tabitha's reaction!

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Flashback

The moment Alice was knocked down, darkness flooded over her, and almost instantly, a memory began to play itself over in her mind. It was a happy one, and Alice was smiling in her unconscious state as she allowed herself to remember the events of thirteen years previously:

_Alice turned to look up at the Hatter, her hazel eyes meeting his green ones. _

"_I'll miss you when I wake up," she told him. _

_The Hatter smiled at first, before his face became a frown. There was silence for a short while. _

"_Alice," the Hatter began, quite hesitantly, "I've...I've been considering things that begin with the letter 'K'." _

_Alice turned to him in puzzlement. Why 'K'? It was confusing enough when it was the letter 'M', but the letter 'K' was even more confusing. _

"_The letter 'K'?" she asked. "Why 'K'?" _

"_Well, as I've been considering, there are lots of wonderful words which begin with that letter," he explained to her. "There's kick." _

"_Kitten," Alice spoke, remembering the litter of kittens Dinah had once. _

"_Knowing," the Hatter continued, rather enjoying this game. _

"_Kettle," Alice added with a smile on her face. _

"_Kiss..." the Hatter said breathlessly. _

_His gaze was firmly fixed upon her, and Alice began to wonder what he was thinking, and why he had said that word. She had to admit, that it was a lovely sounding word, especially when he said it in his Scottish accent, and-_

_Her train of thoughts were brought to an abrupt end when the Hatter leaned in and placed his lips upon hers. And that was when the magic happened. _

_It has been said, that even the slightest touch could determine whether two people were made for each other. Their hands would link, and a warm, fuzzy feeling would travel through them both, and they would just know that they've found their other half. But sometimes, it takes more than this for people to realize that they were made for each other. Because sometimes, too much is happening around them for them to notice, and the feeling of happiness would have to wait for a kiss until it can swarm through the two halves. This was exactly the situation which Alice and the Hatter had experienced, and were experiencing during that one kiss. _

_So much had been happening since their meeting, that they had not noticed just how perfect they were for each other. Two people who felt alone with no one understanding them, and finding this understandment within each other. And that understandment was realized all in that one kiss. _

_It really was truly magical, like any first kiss should be. Especially if that first kiss was shared between two halves who were finally becoming whole. Both Alice and Hatter felt the rest of Underland – and even thoughts of the Otherworld – melt away as their kiss deepened. But the Hatter didn't take advantage of her; no, his kiss was gentle, so gentle that it almost made Alice want to cry. Even when they were kissing he was being protective of her, in a way. Making sure that she didn't get hurt. He really did love her. _

_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they pulled apart. _

"_That was...wow," Alice gasped. _

"_Did that feel like a dream to you?" the Hatter asked her. _

_Alice didn't know what to say. It didn't feel like a dream at all; it felt real, of course, but it also felt different. In other words, it felt like Heaven. Alice felt the happiness swim through her entire body, and it made her want to Futterwacken with joy – however that went, for she had yet to see Hatter perform his famous dance. _

"_Hatter," she began to reply, "I have been shrunk, stretched, scratched and stuffed into a teapot, all of which felt real, but weren't enough to convince me that this wasn't a dream at all. But in the end, all it took was a kiss from a mad man to finally make me see that all this is real." _

_The Hatter grinned so widely, it could have rivalled Chessur's grin, and the gap between his teeth was visible in the dim starlight. _

"_How about one more, just to make sure?" he suggested hopefully. _

_All Alice could do was smile. Maybe it was a bit forwards, but Alice had never been one to obey the rules of high society. And the Hatter looked desperate; why should she deprive a man of something she was bound to enjoy, too? _

"_Oh, go one then," she told him with another smile. _

_The Hatter's eyes changed from green to deep blue, before he leaned forwards and kissed her again, only this time, the kiss was deeper and more passionate. His hands snaked their way around her waist, and Alice could feel them creep up her side and pull her in closer. She didn't reject. Instead, she wrapped her own arms around his neck, silently urging him to go on. _

_But then suddenly, the Hatter pulled away, unsure of himself. He couldn't take advantage of her. He just couldn't. Alice stood still, her mind blank and her whole body looking very confused. _

"_Why did you stop?" she asked him, actually quite disappointed that he had. _

"_I..." the Hatter began, hesitating, "I...don't want to...hurt you..." _

"_Hatter, you're not hurting me," Alice told him. "I know that you would never hurt me." _

"_But...it's such a forwards thing to do," the Hatter explained. "I don't want to take advantage of you, but I just can't help myself, but at the same time, I don't want to hurt you or use you like this, or feel guilty about taking advantage of you-" _

"_Hatter," Alice stopped him, placing her hand on his. _

_The Hatter stopped his ramble, blinking back into reality. _

"_I'm fine," he assured her. _

"_Hatter, you're not taking advantage of me if I'm not protesting," Alice told him. "If anything, I want you to do it. It felt...right." _

_The Hatter looked up at her, and Alice could see that his eyes were still a deep blue. She didn't have to own a mood ring to know what that colour meant. _

"_Then, you wouldn't mind?" he asked. _

_Alice nodded, smiling. _

"_And, if it's also all right with you, could you possibly stay with me tonight?" she asked. "I'm feeling a bit nervous about tomorrow, and I'm still unsure if I can slay the Jabberwocky." _

"_Then I shall keep you company," the Hatter agreed, giving her hand a comforting squeeze and beaming at her with his toothy grin. _

_Alice smiled back, before she led Hatter away towards the bed. _

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OK, that last line is the _only_ hint I'll be giving of any sexual stuff in this story! I might be tempted to add another hint towards the end, but we shall see...

And for those of you who have added this story to their favs and alerts...REVIEW PLEASE! It's all very well that you like this story, but I would like to know **_why_** you like it. That's what reviews are for! And not only that, they help me update a lot faster; so, if you wish to see a fast update, then REVIEW!


	5. Reactions

So yes, here's Tabitha's reaction to her mad hatter father. I hope I've written up to the ridiculous expectations you're all bound to have!

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Reactions

Tabitha just stared at him, her green eyes wide with dumbfounded shock. It was only natural, her reaction. She had heard so much about him from her mother, and all along, he was actually her father. All this time, she had only thought of him as a fictional character from her mother's stories, but not only was he as real as reality could get, but he was also the father she had never even known. Minutes drained on by, and all the while, they just stared at each other, Tabitha still in shock mode and the Hatter waiting for her to say something. Finally, Tabitha stood up out of her seat, backing away across the room with her head shaking in disbelief.

"No...it...it can't be...how...but...why..." she stammered, trying to say the many things she wanted to say, and ask the many questions she wanted to ask, all at the same time.

The Hatter sensed her unease, so stood up out of his own seat and tried to approach her. He could see that like him, her emotions were very close to the surface; she looked so confused, unsure, and slightly frightened. Her eyes were changing colour every second, to show how confused she was, and the fact that the colours were dark showed her fear and worry.

"Tabitha..." the Hatter spoke, unsure about what she would do next.

Just like Nivens, her breathing rate began to increase, and having known the White Rabbit for a long time, the Hatter knew what was coming. Tabitha's eyes rolled and she fell forwards into a faint, and the Hatter took two long strides forwards and caught her. He didn't really blame her, though. This new knowledge was just too much for her to cope with and so sudden, that it was no surprise that she blacked out. He held her in his arms, turning her over so that her face was facing up at his own.

"Tabby, come on, girl, wake up," he spoke to her soothingly, trying to get her to come round.

But her eyes remained close, and her body hung limp in his arms. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to sigh. Using one arm to keep a hold of her around her waist, he slipped his other arm under her legs and lifted her up, so that she was gathered in his arms. Then, very carefully, the Hatter carried her up the stairs of the windmill and into one of the bedrooms, where he set her down on the bed and tucked her underneath the covers. It would probably be best just to let her rest for now, he thought.

Giving her one last look, the Hatter walked out the room and shut the door silently behind him, before he leant up against it and closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. What had he done? And why hadn't Alice returned sooner? He took off his hat and just stared at it, many questions and thoughts filling up his mind.

"What have you done _this_ time, Tarrant?"

The Hatter whipped around, searching for a glimpse of the cat who had spoken, until suddenly, his hat began to rise from his hands with the cat's head underneath it. He was about to shout, but then remembered Tabitha sleeping in the room behind him, so settled for scowling at the feline and his eyes going red instead. He snatched the hat from the cat's head, and Chessur materialized completely in front of him.

"What do you mean 'what have I done this time'?" he questioned, his eyes returning to normal as he wiped his hat, as if trying to wipe away the cat germs. "I think I know what I've done, and I don't need to be reminded."

"Tarrant, Tarrant, Tarrant," Chessur tut-tutted, swishing his tail in a taunting way. "I knew that you liked Alice, but I didn't know that you liked her _that_ much."

"It was all an accident," the Hatter stated, placing his hat back on his head. "I...may have been the first to kiss, but I regained myself and backed away. It was _she_ who said that she didn't mind. And well...one thing led to another, so to speak."

It was then that Nivens, Thackery and Mallymkun climbed up the stairs looking for them all, and paused when they saw the Hatter and Chessur talking, and Tabitha no where in sight.

"Where's the little runt, then?" Mallymkun asked.

"Did...did you tell her?" McTwisp asked nervously, his whiskers twitching.

"I did," the Hatter replied. "She, er, passed out from the shock. I laid her down in the bedroom."

"Probably inherited that ability from her mother," Mallymkun commented.

"Mally," the Hatter told her in a sort of threatening way.

"I'm only stating," Mallymkun huffed. "And when were you plannin' on tellin' us that you and her "did it", puttin' it lightly?"

"I wasn't planning on telling any of you, since it didn't really matter when she left," the Hatter explained. "And Mally, you should know that one does not go round telling others about these sorts of things. What happened that evening was between me and Alice, and that was how it was going to stay."

"But some secrets can't stay a secret for long," Chessur commented, motioning towards the bedroom where Tabitha still slept.

"And that's what I can't understand," the Hatter realized. "She told me outside that they were scowled down upon up top, so why didn't Alice come back, if she wasn't happy?"

"Alice told me that it was too late to come back when she had her," McTwisp explained. "I don't think she realized that a lot of the rabbit holes up there lead to Underland, and only thought that it was just the one which she came down before."

"I guess you can always ask her?" Chessur suggested, implying that they still need to rescue her.

The Hatter took the hint, and let out a sigh.

"I know, she needs rescuing," he agreed. "But Tabitha needs to wake up first, and once she's strong enough, then we shall go to the White Queen."

He walked past them back down the stairs again, and came up a short while later with a steaming cup of tea in his hands. If Tabitha shared anything more with him apart from the green eyes, then it was probably likely that she shared his liking of tea. And like him, it probably took a cup of it to calm her down. He slowly and quietly opened the door, stepped inside the bedroom, and shut it again to prevent the others from spying on him. This didn't stop them from pressing their ears against the door, though.

The Hatter set the tea on the bedside cabinet before taking a seat, taking a closer look at his newly found daughter, still fast asleep. Her features were reasonably sharp, like his were in a way, but she still resembled her mother, too. Her hair was a tangled mess, just like Alice's, and of course, was a golden blonde which was probably her mother's best feature, in his opinion. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and began to stroke it, his hand softly running down the length of her hair, repeating his motion over and over.

It seemed to have some sort of effect. For after a few minutes of doing this, Tabitha's eyes began to flicker open before they settled upon him, green meeting green once more. The Hatter immediately drew his hand away, unsure how she was going to react.

"Are...are you all right?" he asked hesitantly.

Tabitha blinked back into reality, before her eyes went wide when she suddenly remembered what had happened before she passed out. The shock was still there, but not as much as before.

"What...happened?" was the first question she could ask.

"You passed out," the Hatter said flatly. "But you're all right now, so I see."

"I guess," Tabitha admitted, leaning up onto her elbows. "But I'm still a little...confused."

"With good reason," he told her. "I'm not surprised that you fainted; it was...big news."

His daughter looked up at him. After seeing what he was like, and seeing how he was being so gentle with her at that moment, she assumed that he couldn't be _that_ bad of a father. After all, it wasn't like he had known about her, right?

"Yeah," she admitted. "It's all so sudden, and...I just don't know what to think or do. I mean, I always thought that you were a fictional character, and now, not only are you real, but you're my..."

She couldn't even say it, it was too much. She turned away from him and kept her eyes diverted to the floor. The Hatter just reached out his hand again, and very gently, placed his fingers under her chin and turned her face towards him.

"It will be all right," he assured her. "Now I know that you exist, I shall take care of you, just like I took care of your mother when she was here."

Tabitha felt herself smile weakly, a single tear running down the side of her face.

"Now I know why Mother spoke of you so...dreamily," she commented.

"Did she?"

Tabitha nodded.

"I always seemed to enjoy it when she did – and I can understand why I enjoyed it now," she explained. "She wouldn't leave out a single detail, and would always be gazing off into the distance. I could always see some sort of emotion in her eyes. Now, I know what it was; it was love."

The Hatter smiled a wide, toothy grin, which easily could have gotten Chessur jealous if he had been looking.

"Wait, we are going to rescue Mother, aren't we?" she suddenly asked, as if only just remembering what had happened to her mother.

"Of course!" the Hatter exclaimed. "Just as soon as you've regained your strength and drank your tea, we shall take you to the White Queen. Ooh, I've made a rhyme!"

Tabitha couldn't help but laugh as she picked up the cup from the bedside cabinet and took a sip.

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So there it is. I hope it sounded OK, and that everyone was in character. Please review and let me know what you all think!


	6. Torture

I finally got the Alice In Wonderland DVD! YAY!

So here's the next chapter, where we see what's happened to Alice and where Stayne has taken her. I hope you all like it!

Oh, and one more thing, could you all check out my other Alice In Wonderland stories which I have going at the moment? There's Musical Madness, which is basically a series of songfics I've done for the movie, mostly Alice/Hatter stuff. Then there's But Now You're Back, which is a romance story I'm doing. And then there's my newest one, called Return To Wonderland: Through The Looking Glass, which I'm writing as a sequel to the movie, and will be the one I'll be focussing on the most.

At least take a peak at them. I mean, I know you all like the Alice/Hatter pairing (otherwise you would not be here reading this), so I think you'll all like them.

Now, on with the chapter!

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Torture

Alice wanted to stay in her dream land forever. The memory she was experiencing was one which she wanted to last forever; she really did love Hatter, and she mentally slapped herself across the face for even considering the choice to leave him and return to her own world. But she had things which she needed to do, and of course, she didn't know that she was pregnant with his child. It was all in the past now. If there was one thing she knew Time couldn't do, it was turn itself back.

Her eyes fluttered open, but Alice immediately had to close them again. The light was too bright. Actually, the light was very dim, for she was lying in a stone cell which only allowed a glimmer of sunlight to pass through, but after hitting her head hard and blacking out for such a long time, that small amount of light was enough to make her long for the darkness once more. But it was gone, and the pain in her head made Alice open her eyes completely.

She blinked. Stone walls met her gaze, and Alice didn't have to be a genius to figure out that she was in the prison cells of Salazen Grum. It was where Stayne would have taken her. Very slowly, she lifted her hand up to where the pain in her head was; she felt dry blood matted into her hair, which Stayne hadn't even bothered to clean up. Why should he? She was his prisoner, after all. Alice winced as she tried to push herself up, which took some effort. Weakness ached at her muscles all over, but she didn't give up and was finally able to position herself up against the wall for support.

The cell was quiet. Alice allowed her gaze to scan the cells to see if there was anyone else about, but she could see no one. It was a relief, in a way, since not only did it mean that her friends were safe, but it also meant that her daughter was, too. She must have gotten away. The room began to spin, and Alice lifted her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, waiting for it all to stop spinning. It was all so confusing. How had Stayne gotten her here?

A noise was heard, and Alice snapped her eyes open and looked up to where the door was. It was big and heavy, and swung stiffly on it's hinges as the person on the other side pushed at it. Alice's eyes formed into a nasty glare when Stayne entered, walking slowly and smugly over to the cell she was in.

"Alice," he began, in a similar sort of way when she had been surrounded by Red Knights during her last visit, "so pleased that you've finally come to. It has been a long time, no?"

"I would have preferred it to have been longer," Alice stated in a bitter tone. "The word 'never' comes to mind."

"Now, none of that," he told her with a chuckle.

He leaned his arms up against the cell and held the keys within her view, but he didn't dare open the door. Despite Alice being weakened from the blow, he was still a little unsure about what she could do; she had slain the Jabberwocky, after all, and he didn't know many young women who could hold him back behind a door for the amount of time she was able to.

"You shall be the bait," he continued. "Once your friends know that you're here, they'll come. Then, I shall pick them off, one by one, starting off with that Mad Hatter of yours."

Alice gasped. If she thought that she was in pain before, it was just unbearable now. If her friends died, it would be her fault. She would never be able to live with herself if Hatter died trying to save her; of course, she had every faith that Stayne wouldn't let her live another second once all her friends were dead.

"It would have been even better if I had captured your daughter, too," Stayne said in a taunting way.

Those words hitting a cord, Alice slowly raised her head so that her eyes met his, and if they had been able to change colour, then they would have changed into a fiery, burning red. Stayne didn't seem to take the hint to stop, and so, continued.

"I knew that you liked the mad man, but I didn't know you liked him _that_ much. What I don't understand, though, is why you chose someone like him over someone like me."

If Stayne had any flaws, it was that he didn't know when to stop talking. Within a split second, anger boiled up inside Alice, and finding the strength she didn't have a few minutes before, she launched herself at the bars like a caged Bandersnatch. Stayne leapt back in shock, his eyes wide and staring at Alice's actions.

"He _cares_ about me!" she screamed at him. "_You_ just took one look at me, saw what you wanted and tried to take it, but Hatter actually _cares_ about me! He's willing to _die_ for me, and he loves me for who I am on the inside! The same with me; I would _die_ for him if I had to, and he's such a caring person underneath all the madness – not that his madness is a bad thing. He didn't deserve what you and Iracebeth did to him on the Horunvendush Day, and I only hope that he's met Tabby by now. It'll show him that he _does_ have a family."

She took in deep breaths, glaring daggers at the Knave standing stock still in front of her. He didn't know what to say. Any feelings he still had for Alice had vanished with those words, and all that was left was a burning hatred towards her. Taking two great strides back over to her, he slapped her clean across the face. The strength Alice had gained melted away again, and with a yelp of pain, she fell back down onto the cell floor, holding up her hand to the cheek that was stinging. Her eyes turned to look up at the Knave again.

"If you're right about anything, it's that he _will_ come," she spoke coldly. "But if you think that you can defeat him, then you're wrong. He's a better fighter than you could ever be. Just remember that he almost killed you on the Frabjous Day. He'll easily do it again, but with me here, I doubt that he will be merciful enough to let you live this time."

Stayne just sneered at her, trying to forget the highly embarrassing memory of almost getting beaten by a lack-of-military-experience hat maker. He was about to stick his leg through the bars and give her side a kick, but he stopped himself when he realized that he needed Alice alive for now, so that her friends would come. So in the end, he just left, slamming the door shut behind him.

Once his footsteps had echoed away down the hall, Alice allowed herself to curl up into a ball. A single tear escaped her eye.

"Please, Hatter," she whispered, so quietly that even _she_ could barely hear herself. "Hurry."

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See that button at the bottom? It's what you click in order to review. If you haven't reviewed yet, then please do so! You'll make me a very happy writer!


	7. The White Queen

So here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy it!

Oh, and could you please check out my forum and community? The forum is called The Underland Underground Resistance, and my community is called Almost Alice.

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The White Queen

The Hatter wasn't known to be an impatient man, but the wait was just killing him. He wanted to rush off and rescue Alice more than anything, but he was smart enough to know that rushing wouldn't get him anywhere, and there was his new found daughter to consider. He was absolutely overjoyed to know that he was no longer the only Hightopp left in this world, and after what happened to his clan, he was determined not to let anything happen to her – and the fact that she was his and Alice's added to this protectiveness considerably.

Tabitha, on the other hand, could see that he was worried. Since her emotions were close to the surface and her eyes changed accordingly to this, just like her father, she knew what he was feeling instantly; he wanted to rescue her mother, and so did she. So, about an hour or so after their little talk, Tabitha announced that she was feeling much better and had the strength to make the journey to Marmoreal. The Hatter could see right through her, of course, but he didn't make an argument against her insistence; there was an Alice to rescue, after all.

The small party set out, and the Hatter kept Tabitha close to him in case that slimy Knave was about, ready to pounce on them when they least expected him to. The Tulgey Wood was dark, and the leaves rustling as they fell were enough to keep Tarrant on edge, and grab hold of his daughter's hand each time he jumped at the slightest noise.

"No offence, but you're crushing my hand," Tabitha pointed out, wincing at the slight pain.

"Oh, I do apologize," he said, allowing her hand to leave his, but he was still careful to keep her close.

"What are you so worried about, Tarrant?" Chessur asked, materializing in front of him.

"I'm worried tha' _he_ could be around here somewhere," the Hatter growled in an accent that reminded Tabitha of a Scotsman, his eyes lingering on the borders between red and green. "Tabby says tha' he saw her when he attacked; he could be after her, tha' _guddler's scuttish slurvish pilgar lickering-_"

"Hatter!" Mallymkun yelled, snapping him back into reality.

"Thank you," the Hatter thanked her. "I'm fine."

"And you should learn to control that temper of yours," Chessur resorted. "I'm sure that your daughter is far too young to be hearing that kind of language."

"Actually, I think I've shouted words like that many times before."

Everyone paused to look at Tabitha.

"You can speak Outlandish?" Tarrant asked, his eyebrows knotting together with confusion.

"That's what it is?" Tabitha questioned. "It's always been there in my head, and I've never really known what kind of language it was. But I only ever use it when I get angry. I shout similar words; what do they mean?"

"Something which you are too young to hear," Chessur replied flatly, before disappearing.

Tabitha just shrugged it off and they continued onwards. That is, until they entered the all too familiar clearing of burnt trees, wrecked houses and leafless bushes. Chessur decided that it would be best not to show his face here _at all_, whilst the other three all turned to the Hatter with looks of pity. Tabitha also turned to him, confused, and saw that her father's eyes had turned dark grey – almost black – with sorrow.

"What...what happened here?" she dared ask.

The Hatter let out a sigh. It wasn't a pretty story, but this was her family's past, and she deserved to know. Rather sooner than later.

"The Red Queen," he began. "She did this."

This made Tabitha wonder. The Hatter had already told her the full story of her mother's second visit, but he had never told her about a burnt out village, or any sort of fire. She wondered why.

"I was Hatter to the White Queen at the time," he continued. "The Hightopp Clan have always been employed at Court."

Tabitha gasped. Clan?

"There...there was a whole family of Hightopps?" she asked in astonishment.

"The biggest clan in all of Underland," the Hatter explained. "It was on the Horunvendush Day; we were having a maypole celebration, and everyone was there, including the White Queen. Then the Jabberwocky came. It set fire to everything, and everyone was screaming and running, trying to get away. I was able to aid the Queen in her escape, but when I went back to try and find any survivors...there were none. I was the only one left."

His daughter didn't know what to say. The story had made her completely speechless, all her words getting caught up in her throat, causing a lump to form and allowing a single tear to roll down her cheek. The day before, she barely even knew who she was, but now, not only had she found the father she had always wondered about, but she was facing the sad truth about her family. All of them...gone. Within a matter of minutes. She could see by his eyes, that what had happened in this clearing still effected her father deeply, and realizing that she was now the only family he had, she walked up to him and placed her small hand on his.

"I...I'm so sorry, Father," she told him.

The Hatter's eyes widened at what she said, and his head slowly lifted. She had called him 'Father'. They had only known each other for probably two hours at the most, and already she respected him enough to refer to him as her father. His eyes changed back to green again, and he felt a warm feeling rise up inside him as his eyes locked with hers. She was his daughter. He had a family. He was no longer alone in this world.

"We should make another move," McTwisp spoke up, taking out his pocket watch and tapping it. "We're already late."

This brought both Hightopp members out of their trances, and after exchanging smiles, they followed on behind the others, hand in hand.

* * *

It didn't take very long to reach the palace at Marmoreal, and as they made their way past the pink blossomed trees, Tabitha couldn't help but gasp in awe at the place. It so light and airy, and had such a happy feeling to it. A bloodhound came out to greet them, followed by two round boys Tabitha assumed were the Tweedles, and a beautiful woman dressed in white with a silver crown atop of her head. The White Queen.

"Wait, she ain't Alice!" Tweedledum realized, gazing up at Tabitha.

"Well, she looks like her, so she could be?" Tweedledee suggested.

"Contrariwise, Alice don't have green eyes. No-how," Tweedledum pointed out.

Tweedledee followed his brother's gaze, and noticed the same thing.

"She ain't Alice," he concluded. "No-how."

The White Queen appeared behind the two boys, and gave Tabitha an equally confused look.

"McTwisp, this is not Alice," she stated.

"I know, there were...complications, you see," the trembling White Rabbit explained. "Stayne got there and kidnapped Alice, and I was only just able to get this one safely down here in time. I'm terribly sorry."

"But who is this?" the White Queen asked.

"Well, this is Tabitha," he introduced. "Alice's daughter."

"_Daughter?_" both Tweedles cried in unison.

The White Queen looked quite surprised. Her eyes scanned the girl standing before her, from head to bottom, and the blonde hair concluded that she was Alice's. She lingered over Tabitha's eyes for a moment longer, before she gave a slight grin.

"I know those eyes anywhere," she realized, turning to the Hatter. "Tarrant, what have you and Alice been up to?"

The Hatter went bright red, blushing, and Tabitha couldn't help but giggle at the embarrassed expression on her father's face.

"It's...a long story," he admitted. "A very long, complicated story, which would be best told without my daughter present. Your majesty, I do apologize if I seem forwards, but we _must_ simple rescue Alice immediately."

"Being forwards in these situations is acceptable, Tarrant," the White Queen answered. "I shall form a rescue party immediately. Bayard can lead the way, and I imagine you all want to go?"

"Most definitely!" Tarrant exclaimed.

"Alice needs our help," Chessur agreed.

"To the rescue!" Thackery cried out, holding his spoon high above his head.

"To arms!" both the Tweedles said in unison.

Mallymkun just sighed, and nodded. She hadn't been that keen on Alice, but she wanted to help her friends. Nor was she one to miss a good fight.

"And me!" Tabitha pipped up.

"Tabitha, it would probably be best to stay here where it's safe," Mirana told the young girl, before turning to the Hatter. "Take the Bandersnatch with you, too. He's always been fond of Alice, and will no doubt help anyway he can."

"But she's my _mother!_" Tabitha protested. "I of all people should be coming to help!"

"Tabby, please," her father told her, turning her to face him. "It's too dangerous. If something goes wrong, I don't want to risk losing you. You've already seen the effects of what happened to my...our clan years ago, and I don't want you to join them. I lost both you and you mother once – although I didn't realize that I was losing you, too – and I don't want to lose either of you again."

Tabitha could understand what he was telling her, but it still wasn't fair. She was tired of being treated like a child. If there was one thing she knew, it was that she wasn't a weakling. She was strong – just like her mother. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"But it's not fair!" she yelled, before she turned heels and ran across the grounds of Marmoreal.

She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, until she came across a bench which her mother had found herself at on the Frabjous Day. Sitting herself down, she allowed tears to spill from her eyes.

"What is it with girls and crying?"

Tabitha looked up, and there, right in front of her, was a blue butterfly smoking a hookah. She frowned. Hadn't it been a blue _caterpillar_ in her mother's story? But then again, caterpillars changed into butterflies, so it was probably the same one.

"Absolem?" she questioned. "That's your name, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," he stated flatly. "And you must be Alice and Tarrant's girl."

"How...how did you know?"

"You have her hair," he pointed out, breathing smoke into her face and making her cough, "and his eyes. Eyes which shouldn't be spilling water."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I want to help them rescue Mother, but the won't let me come. And I can't just sit here and wait, knowing that they could all be dying at the hands of the Knave!"

"And who are they to tell you what to do?" Absolem questioned.

Tabitha found herself frowning, looking a lot like her mother.

"Well, the Hatter's my father, and the Queen is the queen, so-"

"The choice is yours and yours alone," Absolem told her. "Something which your mother learned the last time she was here."

"So, I can go?"

Absolem didn't answer.

"The Vorpal Sword knows what it wants," was all he said. "All you have to do is hold on tight and let it guide you."

The cloud of smoke covered him up, and realizing what she had to do, Tabitha wasted no time in hurrying into the throne room. There, in a beautiful crafted box, she found the Vorpal Sword. It was a beautiful silver one, with white pebbles running along the long blade. Tabitha held it up into the light.

"I'll show them just how much muchness I have," she spoke aloud, the light that was reflecting from the sword bouncing off her face.

* * *

So yeah, quite a lot happened in that chapter. I hoped you all liked it! Please review!


	8. To the Rescue

Here's the next chapter. Sorry this took so long, especially since the last chapter ended on a cliffhanger. But I hope you all like it!

And a lot of you are probably trying to come up with good story ideas to do. Well, if you're stuck, then I have a category in my forum 'The Underland Underground Resistance' where I've posted challenges for people. Why not try one out?

* * *

To The Rescue

Vorpal Sword in hand, Tabitha cautiously made her way towards the Royal Stables, where she assumed her mother's Bandersnatch would be resting. She didn't really know what to expect; her mother had described the beast as a large bull dog with teeth like a shark, but what if she had just been over-exaggerating? What is the description had been an under-exaggeration?

But Tabitha couldn't be scared now. Not while her mother was in danger. And besides, it was a friend of her mother's, so how bad could it be? Tabitha decided upon _very bad_, when she peeked her head round the stable door and saw the creature fast asleep. It _did_ look like an oversized bull dog, and Tabitha made a good guess that it's teeth did, in fact, look like shark's teeth. She took a cautious step inside, and the thing's eyes immediately snapped open. Tabitha gasped as it let out a low growl. It instantly leapt and pinned her to the ground before she could even _think_ about running.

The Bandersnatch gave her a look, growled again, before it began to sniff her. Tabitha screwed her eyes shut and prepared for the worst, but it never came. For the Bandersnatch had smelt Alice's scent on her, and so, using it's long slobber-covered tongue, licked her clean across the face. Tabitha couldn't help but giggle as it stepped off her, it's eyes sparkling as it panted like a dog.

"You must have smelt my mother," she realized, wiping the slobber from her face. "You remember my mother, don't you? Alice?"

At the mention of Alice's name, the Bandersnatch made a little whimper of happiness, looking past her to see if it's former friend was behind her. It gave a look of confusion when it couldn't see Alice anywhere in sight.

"She's not here," Tabitha explained to it. "She was kidnapped by the Knave, and we need your help to rescue her. Will you help?"

The Bandersnatch immediately let out a growl of agreement, and Tabitha knew that she had it on her side. It allowed her to climb up onto it's back, before it let out a roar, and bounded away across the grounds or Marmoreal. As they approached the drawbridge, Tabitha could see her father, Thackery, Mallymkun, Bayard, Chessur and the Tweedles preparing to go rescue Alice, with the White Queen and McTwisp seeing them off. All their heads turned when the Bandersnatch bounded towards them, Tabitha sitting on top. The Hatter's eyes went wide.

"Tabby...I though' I told ye tha' ye were not comin'?" he asked in his Outlandish accent, which to Tabitha, sounded like a Scottish accent.

"Try telling that to him," Tabitha said back, referring to the snarling Bandersnatch. "And I talked to Absolem; he said that it was my choice and my choice alone. Not only that, but I'm the only one who can wield the Vorpal Sword."

"The Vorpal Sword can't be used for anything but slaying the Jabberwocky?" the Hatter asked in confusion.

"It has a mind of it's own, Tarrant," the White Queen explained. "When the Jabberwocky was alive, the sword's motive was only to cut off the beast's head. That was why it could not be used for anything else. But now that the Jabberwocky is dead, the sword has other intentions, one of which is presumably to kill Alice's captor."

"And since I'm the only one who can wield it, I have to come," Tabitha added.

"I was hoping to kill the Knave myself."

"You can wear him out for me, if you like?"

"Done."

* * *

Alice was weak. Stayne had been giving her no food and very little water, but she had refused to drink it just in case it was drugged, or worse: poisoned. She was growing weaker and weaker by the hour, and Time being it's tricky self, made things go a lot slower for her. It was torture. Stayne was torturing her, without the use of a whip or any sort of violence. Alice felt the energy draining from her as the seconds passed slowly by, and she barely had it in her in order to sit up.

But her physical body wasn't the only thing which was growing weak. Inside, her mind was growing weak too, and Alice could literally feel all her sanity being taken from her, ounce by ounce, little by little. One moment she would be hugging her knees to her chest, rocking backwards and forwards, and then the next, she would be in tears, rolling on the floor like a little girl. Whatever Stayne was doing to her, it was working, for Alice felt like she didn't have anything to live for any more. It was all too much.

The only thing that kept her going was hope. Hope that Tabitha had found her father, and that they were coming to her rescue, along with the rest of her friends. Last time round, Alice had been the one to save them by slaying the Jabberwocky, but now, it was their turn to save her. She had faith in them. Stayne was outnumbered, despite his height and experience; all the Red Knights had become White Knights after the Frabjous Day, so he was all alone in the castle. Alice knew he didn't really stand a chance, no matter what his anger and desire for revenge made him say. After all, Tarrant had almost killed him in the battle, and she had every faith that the Bandersnatch could easily take him out with one swipe of it's paw.

There was a loud bang, and Alice jumped out of her thoughts as Stayne stormed into the dungeons, a crazed look upon his face. He took out the keys and shoved them roughly in the lock; Alice realized what he was doing and tried to shuffle away towards the back of her cell.

"Don't try and run from me," Stayne snarled coldly, as he strode into her cell and drew his sword, using it to break her chains.

Alice tried to look brave, but couldn't stop a whimper from escaping her mouth as Stayne grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, dragging her from the cell and out the door. Having barely any strength, Alice couldn't fight against him. And he was too strong when he was this angry. He stopped by one of the large windows in the hallway, and Stayne forced Alice to look out of it by grabbing the back of her neck.

"See there?" he said with a taunting tone in his cruel voice. "You're little friends have come at last. And your family."

Alice's eyes went wide with hope when she caught sight of them. Bayard was running up ahead, with Mallymkun sitting on top, and the Tweedles were not very far behind with Thackery and Chessur. Then, Alice's heart began to race when she saw the Hatter, making his way along the drawbridge with his large sword from the battle, and wearing his kilt which made Alice blush slightly. Behind him came the Bandersnatch, and there, sitting on top, was Tabitha. She was safe, she was with her father, but most importantly, she had the Vorpal Sword in hand. Alice's eyes went wide with fear. Of course, she was happy to see her daughter again, but she didn't want her getting hurt.

"Take a good look, Alice," Stayne sneered. "This will be the last time you ever see them. I will finish them off, and then, you will join them."

He pulled Alice by her hair as he continued to drag her along the long corridor, before they entered the large throne room where the Red Queen used to sit. Stayne dragged Alice over to a small door, and opening it, he tossed her inside.

"Listen carefully," he told her with a wicked smile. "You'll be able to hear their cries when they die."

He slammed the door shut and locked it. Despite knowing that her friends could take him on, Alice thumped her fists on the door in an attempt to get out. But it was no use. Stayne had locked it, and it wouldn't budge. She was stuck until her friends rescued her...or the other option...

Stayne snickered at Alice's cries, before his attention fixed upon the crashes and bangs of something large tearing it's way through the corridor outside. Suddenly, the Bandersnatch burst through the large doors, roaring in anger, and with Tabitha sitting ready on top of it. He was followed by Bayard with Mallymkun, the Tweedles, Thackery and Chessur, and finally, the Hatter strode into the room with his sword drawn and his eyes burning red. He gave Stayne a look which could have killed, and not in a painless way.

"Where is she, Stayne?" he snarled in his Outlandish accent. "I know she's 'ere, so where is she?"

"Of course she's here," Stayne mocked him, drawing his own sword. "At least, her body is."

"Liar!" Tabitha yelled at him, the Bandersnatch roaring in agreement. "My mum's alive!"

The Hatter quickened his pace as he charged at the Knave, ready to rip him to shreds.

"Find Alice, Bayard!" he commanded, before giving Stayne his first blow.

Bayard immediately began sniffing, before he let out a bark and skidded over to the small door in the corner of the room. He scratched at it and whimpered, before allowing Mallymkun to hop onto his nose and use her hair pin to pick the lock. Alice, hearing this, decided to lend a hand, and attempted to ram the door down. She did this right on cue. Mallymkun picked the lock, and almost instantly, the door burst open and Alice tumbled out, landing on the hard floor.

Hearing her, the Hatter turned his head, and gasped when he saw the love of his life for the first time in thirteen years. She was hurt, she was a mess, but she was still just as beautiful.

"Alice?"

Stayne took his chance, and immediately used the hard end of his sword to knock the Hatter over the head, sending him flying across the floor towards where Alice laid. When his unconscious form landed next to her, Alice glanced upwards with all the strength she could muster.

"Hatter?"

The manic laughter of the Knave echoed around the throne room. But suddenly, it was brought to an abrupt halt by his painful yell. Stayne looked down, and his eyes went wide with shock when he saw the sharp end of the Vorpal Sword protruding from his stomach.

"That's for my family!" Tabitha yelled from behind him, her voice with the familiar accent of her true Clan, and her eyes flaming red.

The Hatter came round just in time to see her do this, and Alice and the rest watched in shock, too. Stayne, obviously, was the most shocked out of all of them. He had just been beaten by the thirteen-year-old daughter of a common hat-maker – but then again, she was also the daughter of Underland's greatest champion. His eyes rolled, before he fell lifelessly to the ground.

Tabitha breathed deeply as her eyes met her mother's. Alice, her face full of pride, smiled at her daughter, before she passed out due to exhaustion.

* * *

I hope that's up to the expectations you were all bound to have. Please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!


	9. Family Moment

First off, I would like to thank Shiny-lioness for her AWESOME fanart for this story! I absolutely love it! If any of you want to see it, here's the link:

h t t p: / / browse. deviantart. com / ? qh= & section = & q = Green + Eyed + Daughter # / d2s3849

Just take out the spaces. And if any of you want to do any fanart for this or any of my other stories, don't hesitate to PM me about it! Speaking of which, I have a whole list of challenges for people to try out on my forum. So if any of you are looking for good ideas for stories, then maybe you could all check it out? Please?

Oh, and this story has reached 100 reviews! Yay! A big thanks to all who actually got of their lazy behinds to review, instead of just adding it to favs and alerts and staying quiet.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Family Moment

The first thing Alice noticed when she came round was that her head was resting upon someone's lap, with one hand supporting her head and the other hand stroking her hair gently. Underneath the rest of her body, Alice could feel a soft bed, and she didn't have to open her eyes to know that she was at Marmoreal. Her eyes opened slowly. She was slightly blinded by the brightness of the room, but after blinking some more, her eyes adjusted to it. Turning her head round to look up at the person holding her, she wasn't surprised to find a pair of green eyes gazing down at her.

"Hatter?" she spoke with a smile.

The Hatter's face formed a smile, the gap between his teeth showing in a wide, toothy grin which could have given Chessur a run for his money. And it was a smile Alice simply couldn't resist. In an instant, she sat up onto his lap and pressed her lips firmly against his, the two of them engaging in a passionate kiss which was thirteen years long over-due.

"Do you both mind waiting until _after_ I've left the room?"

Alice let out a soft laugh as she broke the kiss, and turned her head towards her daughter sitting by the bed on a chair. She was wearing more suitable clothing than her white nightgown; a baggy shirt and trousers made of white silk, as well as a pale blue cardigan that hung loosely on her shoulders. Basically, the same things which Alice wore during her last stay at Marmoreal. The moment she knew that her mother had regained herself, Tabitha leapt from her seat and rushed to her mother, embracing her in a hug. Alice hugged back tightly.

"I'm so, so, sorry, Mother," Tabitha cried into her mother's shoulders. "I said things I shouldn't have said. I really do love you, Mother."

"Shhh, it's OK," Alice reassured her, pulling away to look into her tear-filled green eyes. "I should be the one who's sorry. I should have told you the truth from the start, whether you would have believed it or not."

"But at least I understand now why," Tabitha told her. "I probably wouldn't have believed you if you told me. I barely even believed it when he was right in front of me, real enough to touch."

"Yes, how did you two find out exactly?" Alice asked in curiosity.

"Well, McTwisp brought me down the rabbit hole and explained to me that all the stories which you told me were real," her daughter explained. "Then he led me to the Tea Party, meeting Chessur along the way, and I also met Mallymkun and Thackery. Father was sitting at the end of the table, hat over his eyes and all."

The Hatter smiled at what his daughter had called him. He swore, he was never going to get tired of hearing that.

"They all kept saying that McTwisp had lost it, saying that I definitely wasn't Alice, despite looking like her," Tabitha continued. "But they picked up on my green eyes, Chessur and McTwisp especially."

"I had already told McTwisp when I first saw him outside our house, but I'm not surprised that Chessur picked up on it," Alice admitted. "Why didn't you, after seeing Hatter's eyes?"

"They were this dark colour, so I didn't see them," Tabitha explained.

"Well, I was so worried that something might happen to you, Alice, that I couldn't help my eyes changing colour," the Hatter cut in. "It was bad enough, knowing that the Knave was up there, but it was even worse knowing that as I sat there at the table, he could be doing all sorts of horrible things to you, and I wanted to go and fetch you myself, but only McTwisp could go, but when he came back and said that you had been captured, I didn't know what to do-"

"Hatter!" Alice interrupted him.

"Fez..." the Hatter said, shaking his head. "I'm fine."

"Back to the story, McTwisp told Father that I was your daughter, and he asked me who my father was," Tabitha continued. "I replied that I didn't know, and started to tell him about being born out of wedlock and the scandal I had endured for thirteen years, and well, he must of picked up on my age and the last time you...er..."

"I understand," Alice said, wanting to get off of _that_ topic as quickly as possible.

"He took me inside, sat me down, and came right out and said it," she finished. "The moment I saw his eyes change green, like mine, I knew that it had to be true. But I fainted at the shock."

"I laid her down in bed, then Chess and the others came and questioned me about what I had been doing with you," the Hatter added to this. "I knew that secret wouldn't stay a secret for long."

Alice couldn't help but smile at this. There were a lot of things she wanted to say to him, but she knew that she couldn't say them with Tabitha present.

"Tabby, could you possibly give us some alone time?" she asked her daughter. "Why not go tell the White Queen that I've awoken? I'm sure she and the others are worried."

"Sure, I'll give you both some _alone time_," Tabitha said, putting an empathy on 'alone time'.

"Just go."

Tabitha smiled a grin which was shockingly so much like her father's, and left the room in search of the White Queen. Alice let out a sigh once she had left.

"Hatter," she began, turning to him, "I'm so sorry I never returned sooner. In fact, I'm so sorry I left in the first place. Once I found out that I was pregnant with Tabby, I really had nothing to live for in the Otherworld. Lord Ascot was able to handle my father's company himself, and my mother died of shock when she found out about Tabitha. There was Margaret, but even she was slightly awkward about it. And then there was her husband and son."

"You shouldn't feel sorry about what happened, Alice," the Hatter assured her, moving a stray hair from her face.

"But I promised that I would be back soon, and it's been thirteen years," Alice stated. "Not only that, but I've kept Tabby away from you, and you away from Tabby."

"But it's not your fault," the Hatter assured her again. "I can understand you not returning in her younger years, since she probably would have never survived the fall down the rabbit hole. And McTwisp said that you only thought the one you fell down twice before was the only one that led down here. And if anything, I should be the one who's sorry."

"Sorry?" Alice questioned. "Whatever for?"

"I burdened you with a child," he said gravely. "I put you through all the hurt and pain in the Otherworld. If not for me, then it would never have happened. None of this would have ever happened. And remember, I was the one who came onto you that night on the balcony."

"Tarrant, please," Alice told him firmly, taking his hands in hers. "If you didn't kiss me that night, I would have left wondering what it would have felt like. In fact, I probably would have ended up kissing you, anyway. But just remember that you stopped yourself out of care for me, and I was the one who let you go further. If I hadn't wanted it, I would have stopped you."

"But I still burdened you," the Hatter stated.

"Burdened?" Alice questioned once more in disbelief. "Hatter, you gave me the best gift I have ever received. A daughter. And what was more, she was _your_ daughter. Living with her, raising her, connected me to you. To Underland. I don't think I would have lasted for as long as I did without her. Because, if we didn't...um...make her, that night, then I would have never of realized how much I love you. And if she had never been born, I would have either ended up working myself to a dead end in my father's company, or end up married to someone I didn't love. You didn't burden me, Hatter. In fact, by giving me Tabby, you saved me."

All the Hatter could do was smile. Alice always made him feel better, and he had never felt this happy in a long time.

"And not only that, but I'm proud to have continued your Clan for you," Alice added. "Now, you're not the only Hightopp Clan member left, and I'm sure Tabby won't be the last, either."

"Yes, she's a very pretty girl, and I have no doubt that men would want to marry her, considering who her mother is," the Hatter agreed. "Although, they would have to get by me first."

Alice smirked at the protective look upon the Hatter's face.

"There is that, but I was referring to something else entirely."

She gave him a smirk, signalling her eyes to the bed. And the Hatter's eyes immediately turned a passionate blue. In an instant, the door was locked, and the two of them were re-enacting the night before the Frabjous Day.

* * *

Yep, yet another hint of a love scene. Couldn't resist :)

But I am aware that some of you do write...stuff like that. So if you want to do any sort of oneshot about the night before the Frabjous Day (or the ending of this chapter), then feel free! Just PM me about it before you do.

Last chapter coming soon! And please review!


	10. Legitimized

So here's the final chapter! Sorry for the wait; I wanted to get it just right. I hope you all like it, and don't forget to review!

* * *

Legitimized

The entire castle was busy, hanging up flowers and setting out chairs in the courtyard, and the royal musicians were taking their seats and practising for what was about to happen that afternoon. Up in one of the many rooms of the castle, Tabitha was helping her mother into a beautiful white and blue dress, of similar designs to the one she said she wore the day she first returned to Underland. Of course, there was not a corset or a pair of stockings in sight.

"I can't believe how quickly it's gone," Tabitha commented, who herself was wearing a matching dress, only it had tints of green in it to match her eyes.

"Neither can I," Alice admitted, just as Tabitha finished tying up the final lace. "But I guess Time flies when you're having fun, as one would say."

"Oh yes, having _lots_ of fun with my father," Tabitha said with a smirk.

Alice found herself blushing. It was during their love making two weeks before that the Hatter had whispered to her in his Outlandish brogue "marry me", and who was she to argue when he said it in such a way? And right in the middle of giving her pleasure, no doubt. Since then, they had been _doing it_ whenever they could, to the annoyance of a certain daughter and a certain dormouse. The two of them had become good friends, unsurprisingly.

"Tabby, please," Alice told her, trying to hide her blush. "It's been thirteen years since I last saw him, and we were just making up for lost time, so to speak."

Tabitha sighed. Sure, she was happy that her parents were finally together again and getting married, but she would like to spend some time with them, too. They tried, of course, but Tabitha always found herself making a hasty escape when her parents kissed, which turned a bit more passionate than first intended.

"I would like to spend some time with you and Father, though," she spoke aloud. "I know you're in love, an all, and I'm happy for you both, but every second it's kiss, kiss, after kiss-"

"Tabby!"

"Sorry."

Alice smiled at how like her father Tabitha was.

"Believe me, Tabby, you'll understand when you find that special someone," she explained to her daughter. "If your father will let any boys near you, that is."

"Don't worry, I think I'm gonna catch up on the childhood I missed before I even consider finding a boyfriend," Tabitha stated. "I missed out on so much, and I would like to have some bonding time with Father."

A smile crept across Alice's face as she sat down in front of the mirror. It made her so happy to see the love of her life and their daughter getting along so well; no more than a couple of days ago, Tabby had stolen his hat and danced away with it, and Tarrant had chased her, caught her, and then tickled her until she could barely breathe. And he had already started teaching Tabitha the Futterwacken.

"I know he'd be happy to hear that," she sighed, pinning a non-human faced daisy in her long blonde hair, which was flowing down her back. "That means he won't have to get his scissors and pins out just yet."

"Why scissors and pins?" Tabitha questioned. "He uses those anyway, when he's making hats."

"No, he said that if a boy ever got near you, he'd chase them away using scissors and pins," Alice said, snickering at the memory of it.

Tabitha couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of her mad hatter father chasing away young boys, scissors in hand and throwing pins at them all.

"I like it that he's protective," she stated. "It makes me feel safe."

"Yes, and especially now there's another little one on the way," Alice spoke quietly, in case there was anyone listening.

She had found out that she was pregnant with hers and Hatter's second child not very long after their first "love making" session, and she had kept it a secret from everyone, save the White Queen and her daughter. She wanted it to be a surprise, especially for Hatter.

"When are you going to tell Father, anyway?" Tabitha asked, as she gave her hair a bit of a brush.

"After tonight," Alice replied. "I want our wedding night to be special, and the last thing I want is him taking it easy because I'm with child. I know we have been doing it these past few weeks, but I'll never convince Tarrant of that. I don't want it getting in the way."

"Mother, you say that like you two never do anything," Tabitha said with a raised eyebrow.

Alice smiled before she stood up, flowers in hand, and ready as she could ever be. Together, she and Tabitha walked along the white corridors until they arrived outside, where many were waiting for them. Mallymkun, who was a bridesmaid alongside Tabitha; the Tweedles, who were both page boys, and each had a basket of flower petals; McTwisp, who had offered to walk Alice down the aisle; and the Bandersnatch, who she was to ride to the courtyard like a white horse at a normal wedding. But this was no normal wedding.

"My, don't you all look lovely," Alice complimented them all. "Even you, Bandy."

She admired how clean the large beast looked, since he had been rather _frumious_ before.

"You have no idea how long it took us to clean him," Tabitha commented.

Her mother ignored her complaints as two of the queen's footmen helped her up, sitting side-saddle style on the Bandersnatch before Tabitha led him across Marmoreal and towards the courtyard. The entire courtyard was covered in beautiful white roses, creating a beautiful scene as Alice arrived with a big smile on her face. The footmen helped her down again, and seeing that they were ready, the White Queen signalled for everybody to rise as the music started to play. Alice walked down the aisle with McTwisp at her side, Tabitha following on behind with Mallymkun, and the Tweedles bringing up the rear. The two boys were scattering flower petals, but began pushing a shoving each other when Tweedledee supposedly threw some of the petals in Tweedledum's face.

But Alice couldn't bring herself to care. The scene was nothing short of perfection. Her smile crept even wider when her eyes fell upon the Hatter, standing in front of Mirana and wearing the very kilt which made her shiver with excitement. Chessur floated beside him, holding a box which Alice guessed must have the rings in. She wondered why Tarrant even chose Chessur to be his best man (or cat, in this case), since they had never really been on very good terms, but on second thoughts, he was a better choice than Thackery. The Hare would probably end up losing the rings, or chucking them in a fit of madness.

When they arrived up at the front, the others went to take their seats whilst Alice stood in front of the Hatter, who smiled a grin wider than Chessur's when he saw how beautiful his wife-to-be looked.

"You're beautiful," he complimented, his eyes lingering on the border of his usual green and passionate blue.

Alice found herself blushing before they both turned to face the White Queen.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, and animals," she began, "we are gathered here today in holy matrimony to witness the union of Underland's great Champion, and our very own Royal Hatter. Never have I seen two people more perfect for one another. Have you both written your vows."

Alice just nodded before she turned to face Hatter.

"Hatter...Tarrant," she began, "I had always dreamed about falling in love as a little girl, and going on a grand adventure. And when I met you, I experienced both. And in a way, true love is an adventure in itself. When we first kissed, I felt something deep inside of me; something which told me that...you would be the only one for me. I could never love anyone else after that. I don't know why I ever even _considered_ leaving you...you gave me your heart, and a daughter...I have never been so grateful to anyone as much as I am to you, and I will spend the rest of my life thanking you for what you did for me. My father excluded, you are the only one ever to truly understand me. And no matter what life throws at us, I vow to always love you...forever."

Everyone, even the White Queen, were fighting to hold back their tears.

"Tarrant?" she asked.

The Hatter nodded, before turning back to Alice.

"Alice," he began. "My beautiful, right-sized Alice. I lost my heart to you from the moment I first saw you the second time, waltzing towards me with some of your muchness missing. I helped you find your muchness again, something which I would do a thousand times again, and a thousand times after that. You brought hope back into my life, Alice. And you brought love, too. I never knew that I was going round as just a half until I met you. You completed me. That one kiss made me whole, and I have no doubt that it made you whole, too. But then you had to leave, and I had to go round as a half again. I couldn't believe how I had coped before you, since it was unbearable. You had promised to return, though, and it was that one promise which kept me sane throughout. But I was still suffering, like before when I was waiting for you to return the second time. And then, one day, a young girl appeared at the Tea Party instead, and she turned out to be your daughter. My daughter. Our daughter. And she made me so happy once more. You both do. And I vow to love you both forever, even after the day I die."

Even the Bandersnatch was sniffing on his tears.

"The rings?" Mirana asked.

Chessur held out the box which the Queen took, holding one out each to both Alice and the Hatter. They each took them, and holding out their hands, placed the rings on.

"Alice Kingsleigh, do you take Tarrant Hightopp to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forwards, till death do you part?"

"Death could never part us," Alice spoke, before she nodded. "And I do."

"Tarrant Hightopp, do you take Alice Kingsleigh to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forwards, till death do you part?"

"I agree with Alice," Tarrant agreed. "Death could never part us. And I do."

Mirana smiled.

"In that case, I pronounce you both husband and wife," she said happily. "You may kiss the bride."

"Finally!" the Hatter cried, before he dipped Alice and kissed her passionately.

The crowd cheered and threw hats in the air, and Tabitha clapped loudly above the noise. For she knew, as did her parents, that she was illegitimate no longer.

She had been legitimized.

* * *

TA-DA! A big thanks to those who reviewed, and for those who didn't...meh.

There's won't be a sequel, sadly, but I have lots of other AIW fics up and more coming soon! The ones I have up now are Little Alice In Wonderland (just a friendship, this one, but still), But Now You're Back (a romance), Musical Madness! (a collection of songfics, mostly Alice/Hatter) and Return To Wonderland: Through The Looking-Glass (a sort of sequel to the film, how I would write it). Please give those a read, too!

And if you want more great reads, check out my Community called Almost Alice. And please also check out my forum The Underland Underground Resistance.

So, until next time, Fairfarren!


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